Heart and Gunpowder
by IncursioSlayne
Summary: Her final words were I love you. It just wasn't fair. She couldn't leave it at that. For Tatsumi, he had a choice to make...a deal with a wandering Relic. But did he truly make the right decision? As the Rebellion makes their final move, to keep Mine alive, to continue their relationship, Tatsumi made a choice. But did he condemn Mine to an even worse fate to save her life...
1. Kill the Tragedy

"I love you."

The grip of her hand softened, the final breath she took full of sobs. Tatsumi pressed her knuckles to his head, crying out her name.

"Mine! Mine!"

Her eyes were closed and he could no longer hear her. Of all the people that had died so far, he never expected this one to hurt the most. Sheele's sudden death pained him. Bro's death hurt him as well, but none of the deaths could compare to the absolute torment his heart had just been through. She said she loved him.

It wasn't fair.

Sobs that he couldn't hold back came now. At that moment, Esdeath could've shown up, and Tatsumi would not have cared. He wanted Mine back. To hear her tease him again would've been a blessing. There had to be something to do. Something, anything! To bring his Mine back to life! She couldn't just tell him those words and die on him!

"Mine…please don't leave me."

She was motionless.

A warm body, but dead, nonetheless.

"I won't leave you," Tatsumi said, though even he didn't believe it as he looked at her. She looked peaceful like this – the sniper was tormented for her entire life for being a foreigner. Maybe she was finally happy to be free of the life of torment that dominated her life.

But Tatsumi still wanted her back.

"You wish to bring her back?"

Tatsumi nearly jumped out of fear. He had forgotten a lesson that Bro had instilled in him – always being aware of the surroundings. He instinctively reached for his weapon in one hand while cradling Mine in the other. Standing in the small river next to the spot where Tatsumi held his fallen girlfriend, there stood a white fox – watching, waiting.

Tatsumi was sure that he had heard the voice of something that sounded feminine. Silly as it sounded, his suspicious gaze fell upon the fox.

"I ask again," the fox spoke, though its mouth didn't move. "You wish to bring her back?"

Tatsumi pulled the body closer. "Who are you?"

The fox regarded Mine's body, inclining its furry head towards her. "That one isn't far from death. A bargain, then. You won't have long to choose before it's too late. Fulfill my contract, and I will save her."

Could it possibly be?

Of course he wanted to save her. But there was no saving the dead. He knew this – if that were the case, somebody would've used an Imperial Arm by now. And yet, the rationale faded away almost as quickly as hope spread in his heart. How could he bring his Mine back? Any price was surely worth the cost of a contract.

He looked to the animal. "What's your contract?"

Paw by paw, the fox walked out of the river. Up close, the fox looked more than just a curious onlooker. "Possession. Time is running out fast…choose fast, little one. My window is closing."

"Wait, wait!" Tatsumi shouted. "Who are you? What are you?"

"A Relic. One that is trying to save your lover. Hurry."

A Relic?! The statement alone made him pause. Too many thoughts ran through his mind at once, enough that he could only make a stunned expression on his face.

"Time's up!"

"No, no, do it!" Tatsumi shouted. "I accept your contract!"

The fox looked at him…then at Mine. "Contract terms agreed."

A blinding flash of white light erupted from the fox. Even when Tatsumi shielded his eyes, the light seemed to sear behind his eyelids. He could hear a sizzling and then a muted growl – it all lasted for but a moment before everything suddenly stopped.

The light was gone.

The fox was nowhere to be seen.

And…a breath?!

The jolt of surprise as he watched Mine's mouth open and exhale her first breath since death had both sucked the wind out of him and filled his heart with a tremendous excitement. He pulled her body close, unable to hold back tears. "Please, be okay! Be okay!"

"I'm…alive…?" she exclaimed in short breaths before passing out yet again.

Voices in the distance…Tatsumi recognized that he was not far away from the Coliseum where he nearly met his end at the hands of Esdeath. At the hands of her form of mercy and twisted sense of living, in the name of her love for him, she was willing to end his life. Tatsumi had been through so many life-altering experiences, and this would be one of them. He didn't want to experience another so soon.

Surprisingly light without her holding Pumpkin, Tatsumi lifted Mine into his arms.

Her eyes, half-closed and hazy, were on his.

"I'll get you back to Night Raid. I promise!"

The flecks of orange that had dotted her normally rosy eyes did not go unnoticed. But the orange sunset was behind them, so it could've just been a trick of his own eyes. Though his body strained against the force, he summoned the armor of Incursio around him and took off for the direction of the Night Raid headquarters.

He had hopes that everybody made it out of the Coliseum.

Because if not, Night Raid was finished.


	2. Kill the Regret

_**A/N: Well, I certainly wasn't expecting to get placed on so many author alerts and get as many views as I did. I definitely appreciate the love, AGK fandom. As a bonus, I'm releasing this chapter early (I wasn't planning on releasing it until Friday) as a thank you, as well as to let you know that, yes, I intend to write and finish this fanfic. Stay tuned, as there may be some elements adapted straight from the manga as well. Also, I'm sticking with the name Teigu for Imperial Arms…it's easier to type.**_

The coliseum had been fresh in their minds. In the months since joining the band of assassins, Tatsumi had watched as the Night Raid was cut down to half of what they used to be. But it had been a long time since the last person died – it was as if fate had decided to make up for lost work. Lubbock and Susanoo were officially counted amongst the dead. He came for a sense of purpose. Now, it seemed that he was too weak to even be marked for death.

The silence permeated the room, save for the slow-burning hiss of Najenda's cigarette. She held such a calm demeanor on her face. Surely she was hurting, but couldn't she have shown some remorse or compassion.

Tatsumi balled his fists, turning away from her.

He doubted that she even moved from her tiny throne. Leone and Akame would have noticed his actions, but even they wouldn't say anything. Akame was probably even more straight-faced than their boss, given that she actively suppressed her emotions – he wished he could've been able to do that. Instead, what he felt in his heart was overwhelming. They had lost too many people.

Sheele.

Bro.

Chelsea.

Su.

Mine almost joined that list. He couldn't stand to have another person dying in his arms. Why did she even come in the first place? Thoughts had traveled back to hours earlier, when he was at the mercy of Esdeath's sword. No, it wasn't just Mine…what remained of Night Raid had attacked the coliseum in order to rescue him.

"All of this…just for me…"

"Don't be so self-absorbed," he had heard Najenda say behind him. He hadn't realized that he was speaking aloud. "We couldn't allow you to be executed in such a public manner. It would've demoralized the rebellion. We're all prepared for the worst to happen."

The ring of truth in her words settled in his mind. But the way she casually spoke, as if he were just another objective…it bothered him. He certainly wasn't human, but Susanoo was still a comrade, and he died in the melee that followed the chaos of battle. The boss was right. In the long run, the rebellion couldn't afford to suffer any demoralizing losses – the fighting that occurred in the coliseum was sure to bring some good news and raise their morale. But that was a rational way of thinking – Tatsumi didn't want to think rationally right now.

Looking at Najenda now, seeing the calm demeanor on her face – it had unsettled him.

She took another long smoke before exhaling. "We were also able to eliminate Budo. He's been a thorn in our side for a long time now. Our gains outweigh the losses."

There were times when he appreciated the honest rationale that Najenda made.

This was not one of those times.

"How can you say that?!" Tatsumi snapped.

Leone fixed him with a gaze, stepping in the conversation. "Tatsumi, it isn't like the boss isn't hurting. She lost Susanoo. In fact, we're lucky that was the only loss we've had, given the circumstances."

Another puff of nicotine smoke.

Najenda's steely gaze remained the same. "Don't worry about it. He simply fulfilled his duties as a Relic. But more than that, Tatsumi, you said that you had to save Mine's life. What did you mean by that?"

Tatsumi lowered his head. The pigtailed sniper had been unconscious ever since he laid her on the ground at her request. Before the meeting with the remaining Night Raid members, he was at her side with Akame. They couldn't have known that she was dying. No, she hadn't just been dying.

"After we escaped the coliseum, Mine died. Her heart stopped…she wasn't breathing…"

"What, did you give her CPR?" Leone joked.

At another time, it might've lifted the mood in the room. But with the recent loss finally taking their tolls on everyone, the humor fell flat in the dead silent atmosphere. The fun and games weren't the same without the other members. Tatsumi stared at the ground for a long moment, trying to form the words that he needed to say. Too many emotions ran through his heart and his mind was clouded with so many questions.

"No, it was a Relic that offered its help. A fox…it said that it could save her life if I fulfilled the arrangements of the contract. I agreed and it disappeared in a white flash."

Akame had stepped forward. Somehow, the feeling of her hand on his shoulder calmed him. "What kind of contract did you agree to?"

"Possession."

There was no way to take back the words that had left his lips. Without the rushed emotions that he felt earlier to drive his actions, he knew that the decision was rushed…that it was made with little thought. Doubting a Relic, from what little he already did know about them, didn't seem like a wise course of action. The worry of the others' reaction to this news had scared him nearly as much as losing Mine.

All that emotion from Mine's supposed final words had left him drained.

'Let the others judge me,' he thought. It was a decision he made because he couldn't stand to lose somebody else.

"I'm not sure if we'll have the time, but I'll try to ask someone in the Revolutionary Army about this Fox Relic," Najenda stated, rising from her throne.

The expression in her face – it wasn't anger, or disappointment. It was difficult to place exactly what she was expressing on her face.

She looked at her right hand, flexing the metal prosthetic fingers. "The army is marching. We still have final preparations to make. Tatsumi, I know you're worried about Mine, but stay focused. And stay on guard. I've never heard of a Relic that can possess…but it likely was made for combat functions as well."

"Understood."

"You and Akame go into town this evening…we need to see what is going on. Take the time you need before you head out."

-_Akame ga Kill-_

It had been long…very long. To feel like a human once more – it was such a foreign experience that pleased her greatly. And this time, she had chosen a subject that was still in her youth. Oh, the passion that burned in this one. The fire that brimmed in her personality was a huge catch.

She couldn't remember the last time she had acquired such a promising host. The last time, there had been a war with which she had no interest in. War was brewing here again. But again, it served no interest to her. It wasn't a function that she was equipped to care about.

No, she had another function, but getting used to a new body took time.

The personality of this one…

What was her name?

That young man called it out many times after she kissed him.

Kiss…

Kiss…

What would that feel like?

Her name…it was Mine, wasn't it?

Such an odd name. But she was not one to judge. That was not her function. A contract was made and she was apt to fulfill it. The girl smelled of many things…sweet things…angry things…sad things. The scent of gunpowder had hung around her when she first approached the girl. Seeing the fresh memories, it became clear that she had a teigu. A weapon. One that ran off emotion.

Emotion…

Romance…

Love..?

That was when she felt the personality of Mine. Mine was beginning to awaken. The fox toyed with the idea of leaving her. But she didn't want to destroy the girl's mind. That was fate of her existence – leaving her host always left them as a deranged shell of themselves.

For now, she would sit back and learn.

There were battles to come. She wanted to experience these, too. How would it feel to be a human? She would experience that as well once she learned all she needed to know.

This was her nature, and to go against it was inconceivable.


	3. Kill the Possession

_**A/N: Another early release. Yes, I'm on quite the roll right now. Bonus points to you readers who caught the reference in the second scene.**_

_The memories…oh, the memories were quite varied. Mine had killed…had hopes and aspirations…had a person she cared for deeply. The most recent memory gave the fox a pause._

_ There had been no way for Mine to know that her memories were being studied. She was regaining consciousness, so the fox's time was quickly running out before she had to fade into the dark corners of the girl's mind. _

_ But there were many things that she learned just from a cursory glance._

_ She needed more._

_ This wasn't enough to act as a human._

_ She could possess the body anytime she wished, but she wanted to live as this girl now. There were so many emotions in this girl. So much anger. So much sadness. It was quite intriguing._

_ 'Who …?'_

_ The fox faded away into the girl's subconscious. No, the girl would panic if she sensed something in her mind, and Kitsune would be forced to find yet another host. Too many burnt out bodies…it was already difficult enough finding somebody she could truly be compatible with._

_ No, she would not waste this chance again._

_ Watching from the shadows…that was this one's goal._

* * *

Everything hurt.

Was this what Heaven felt like? Because it was starting to feel like she was in Hell. Maybe the peaceful surroundings that resembled her little room would give away to the true nightmares. Maybe her bed was actually full of spikes.

Or spiders.

Or spiky spiders.

"…Spikers…"

She shivered.

The door opened and what she saw didn't make her shiver – her heart jumped several beats. The young man had walked through.

"T…Tatsumi…?"

Tatsumi froze in place. Clearly, he wasn't expecting her to be awake. But she wasn't expecting to actually be alive, either. Unless this was just a trick – and the devils living Hell had a sense of humor before proceeding to torture the souls that just happened to land down here. But even if it was a trick, seeing him again…

As she sat up, the enormous pain she felt coursing through her body paralyzed her actions. She could only get halfway up before collapsing back on the bed.

"Mine!"

Tatsumi was at her side immediately.

At that, she chuckled.

"I didn't know that being on the winning side would hurt so much."

She felt his hands in her own – the warmth of his skin seemed to take away some of the pain. Tears were forming at the corners of his eyes, and she wanted to wipe them away, but her vision blurred from the tears that were forming in her own. "Stop it…men aren't supposed to cry. You're making me cry now…"

"I can't help it…you're alive," he said to her, kissing her knuckles.

"I really thought I was going to die…" she forced from her lips, choking back the sobs. "I really thought…"

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. Two assassins trying to hold back their tears at the reunion. She was watching Tatsumi intently, unsure of where to begin what to say. She had made a confession to him – one that she didn't think she would live to see the results of.

Her mouth opened.

Closed.

Opened.

"About what I had said…"

Their lips had come together. Neither of them were sure who made that first move – was it Tatsumi who leaned in of his own free will, or was it Mine gently pulling him closer…either way, they enjoyed the warmth of one another's lips.

His arms embraced her tightly.

"Ouch…" she tried to hold back the groan of pain.

Tatsumi immediately backed off. "I'm sorry…I…I didn't know you were hurting…"

"It happens when I have to save my boyfriend because he got himself captured."

"B-B-Boyfriend?" Tatsumi exclaimed.

Mine nodded. "You stole my first kiss. So I expect you to act like a man with me…"

Tatsumi smiled.

It was those same smiles that warmed her heart, even after a tough battle. How could he continue smiling like that? Even with all that had happened, Tatsumi hadn't changed one bit. She liked that.

"Tatsumi…please promise me something."

"Hmm? What's that?"

"Don't ever let that evil woman get near you again."

General Esdeath. The Empire's Strongest. It was said that it would take armies to defeat her. But Tatsumi was a weak spot for her for some reason. And yet, even she was going to execute him publicly. No…her boyfriend would not be the victim of that cruel woman.

"I promise," he said.

He told her of the mission that had been given to him and Akame. Naturally, she didn't want him to go, but they still had a mission to complete. She wished him well and he had gone on his way, leaving her to her thoughts.

She survived somehow.

And she didn't understand why.

* * *

_ Esdeath…_

_ Esdeath…_

_ Who is this Esdeath, Kitsune wondered. There was pain…and a rage that was bubbling beneath the surface. And fear. There was definitely a hesitation whenever the girl thought of this blue-haired woman._

_ "What is your connection with her? I don't understand. This woman…she loved Tatsumi as well, and she was going to kill him?"_

_ Kitsune could only make sense of the recent memories before Mine's near-death._

_ "Who…is this?" she heard the girl's voice._

_ Kitsune lurked in the girl's subconscious, but the girl seemed aware of her. She felt different emotions rising. More than just fear. Panic? Was it caution?_

_ "I am the bargain made by Tatsumi to save your life," she answered honestly. Perhaps this girl could be reasoned with._

_ "What are you…what's in my head?"_

_ Kitsune felt the confusion. It was much too early, but she could take over the girl's body for some time. She needed to understand…had to understand the thoughts running through her host's mind. It wasn't a question of if she needed to know. No, she needed to know these things now._

_ "Sleep now...I will take control."_

_ Like all of the other hosts, it was relatively easy to take over for the first time. Mine's thoughts faded away, her consciousness slipping away to slumber. There was a compulsion that took over Kitsune – a need to gain more knowledge. She couldn't fight it, nor would she fight it, for her nature was that of curiosity. _

_ Esdeath…yes, this woman would provide the answers to the mystery that ran through Kitsune's mind._

_ Esdeath would answer the question that now dominated her thoughts._

_ Why would you kill someone you loved?_

_ Confident that Mine's consciousness would not pose a problem, Kitsune awakened in Mine's body. She sat up for the first time, feeling all that pain that the girl's body had just went through. It was pain she could ignore for the time being. Questions needed answering._

* * *

The skirmish wasn't the problem, nor was it the number of Teigu weapons that this supposed Revolutionary Army brought along with them. Esdeath was unnerved by something. No, she'd been unnerved for a long time about a few things. There was a new type of passion that she hadn't experienced – love. Oh, she knew love; she heard about it, even read about it.

But up until Tatsumi, she had never experienced the feeling of a romantic love.

The field of dead bodies behind her reaffirmed her truth of the world – the weak are meant to be owned by the strong. And her love was certainly not weak. Otherwise, he'd have died at the coliseum. She wanted to show him the wonders of the world through her eyes – he was simply stubborn and too clung to the wrong beliefs.

She paused as she glanced behind her.

The wall of ice that had sheared a man in half still remained. The blood that stained it hadn't faded. Oh, there were many ways to harm a person. While she liked to savor the moment of a person's suffering, this war wouldn't pause for her indulgence into such pleasures. Though, seeing how that ice cut the man in half had given her a new idea for a torture technique.

Could that passion be translated into the bedroom?

The thought made Esdeath blush. Oh, yes…Tatsumi was surely the one for her. Enemy or not, he belonged to her.

She smiled, even as she watched more of the soldiers in tattered clothing gather to approach her. Soldiers of the Imperial Army gathered behind her, but they did not make a move – being such weaklings, surely they were awed by her display of true power. But Esdeath knew that she couldn't kill every single person on this field.

The feeling had been on her mind for quite some time.

The resentment had been growing for a long while, and her own unit's failures to eradicate Night Raid brought rebellion out to even the citizens. The very citizens she had commanded her special unit to protect. Perhaps that was her weakness...no, Najenda was simply a coward who fought from the shadows until recently. But the tactics that her old comrade was using – it was simply amazing.

The number of soldiers still on the field was amazing. So many had come here to fight. The general drew her blade, the hints of a smile playing at the corner of her lips. This was going to be a good fight. Certainly a much better one than what happened in the icy North.

"Show me your power…prove to me that you're stronger than me!"

The horse she had strode on in battle neighed. Esdeath thought it was because it was responding to her lust for battle. After all, horses certainly understood what it meant to stride into danger, feeding off its rider's command – and her commands were truly absolute. The thought made her smile even more.

But then the horse took off in a new direction.

Odd behavior.

Danger!

Esdeath leapt away from her spot on the ground – the crackle of energy that shot before her eyes smashed into the ground. The explosion that followed erupted into a dome of pure energy, searing the rocky ground and two soldiers unfortunate enough to get caught in the blast.

The shot hadn't been aimed at Esdeath.

She glanced towards the forest cliffs that bordered on the edge of the capital, where the shot had come.

A new ally, perhaps?

There was certainly a figure there, too far away in the distance for Esdeath to make out. But it was still there.

"Do not let the rebels advance any further," she announced to the soldiers under her command as the fiery dome rescinded into the ground.

She planted her palm on the warm ground. A pillar of ice erupted from the ground and lurched towards the cliff edge, propelling Esdeath and the saucer that she created. Her eyes remained on the mysterious person – she was unaware of any new Teigu users, and a shot with that kind of power was certainly a lost Teigu. It intrigued Esdeath, even in the heat of this admittedly boring battle. Perhaps the owner was trying to grab her attention.

"In which case, let's see what they have to say for themselves."

The vast forest on the cliff might've been easy for anyone to lose a pursuer. It was also perfect for an ambush if one wanted to take out their enemy.

The person had certainly been waiting for Esdeath.

There was no weapon in sight, only a young woman standing before her with a downtrodden gaze. Her pink skirt flowed in the soft wind blowing around them.

"Well…that's quite bold. Have you come to accept your death?"

She held up her sword and smirked. If this were a challenge, Esdeath gladly would've accepted it. But the target fought from long range and it was doubtful she had any close combat experience. The report from Seryu indicated that there were always close range fighters to compliment her fighting style.

The figure looked up at her.

"This is a fortunate day, indeed," Esdeath remarked. "What's your name? I would like to know the name of the person who killed General Budou."

Yellow eyes.

That was what Esdeath had seen.

"This one's name is Mine. But I am Kitsune. And this one has strong feelings toward you – hatred…aggression…my host wanted to fight you. Tatsumi…yes, the memories show that you were going to execute Tatsumi."

The excitement that had been building in Esdeath suddenly faded upon hearing that name. She did not expect to hear that name here. She felt even more cautious than before. She felt something powerful in this girl. "So what do you want to do about it?"

"I…"

"Get the hell out of my head!" the pigtailed girl suddenly screamed.

Whatever Esdeath had felt, it was long gone by this point. And now, she was face to face with a member of Night Raid – the girl known as Mine. Esdeath could have cut her down now. Instead, she waited as Mine seemed to struggle with something in her head. She felt to the ground, grabbing her head and whined. The struggle lasted only for a moment, but it was long enough for Esdeath to think of many ways to torture the girl.

It was a simple enough manner to kill her.

One swipe and she would be erased from the face of the planet.

But, a message still needed to be sent. The coliseum was supposed to produce an execution. Night Raid went out of their way to rescue Tatsumi…certainly they would do the same for another one of their members.

"What fortunes have brought to me today," Esdeath remarked, sheathing her sword.

The girl offered little resistance. Whatever struggle she had been battling clearly left her exhausted. Even as the general yanked her arms and placed them at her back, Mine showed no signs of even being conscious. Handcuffs formed by the very power of ice bound her wrists.

"You can bring Tatsumi back to me."

Mine's eyes shot open.

The fear that fell over her expression as she noticed her capturer…that made this day even better.


	4. Kill the Shocking News

**_A/N: I would like to make mention that I do read your reviews and I try my best to respond to all of them directly. This creative wave I'm riding with daily updates is likely to slow down as I work a 3rd shift job. But, I will do my absolute best to continue bringing you quality chapters once a week. Thanks for your support, Aka readers._**

The unrest was growing quickly and Wave didn't like it. Earlier, he had to deal with the protests of some of the very citizens he thought he was protecting. It didn't make sense why those very same people were turning against the capital. The coliseum should've been an example of why the Empire was needed more than ever, especially with the brazen assault by Night Raid.

Unable to hold back his anger, he struck the wall.

Though Kurome was seated at the table behind him, Wave couldn't hold back his emotions any longer. His frustrations were at a boiling point and he needed an outlet.

"This nation isn't going to last much longer," Run said matter-of-factly.

That caught Wave off guard. Without pausing to consider his comrade's words, he glanced at him and shouted, "Most of them are siding with the rebels. Are we really supposed to be okay with this as Jaegers?!"

"Please calm down," Run said, facing him. If the outburst had bothered the blonde at all, it didn't show in his expression. Run stood there with his arms behind his back, relaxed. That seemed to be his default expression, even as their comrades were slowly killed off one-by-one, courtesy of Night Raid.

For a moment, Wave allowed himself to wonder if any of them were killed by Tatsumi's hands.

How could the General not want to tear him apart? Obviously, she had feelings for him…but she should've killed him instead of trying to talk to him. There were only three Jaegers left…not nearly enough to make much of a difference in this revolt, even with their leader cutting down them by the dozens.

"It's likely that this unrest will persist after the revolution. We'll be needed then."

"You talk as if you knew this would happen."

Run faced the window once more. "It took place faster than I'd anticipated, though."

Faster than anticipated? At those words, Wave's frustration faded. Now, he was more interested in what Run had meant.

"I've long hoped for revolution," the blonde admitted, a smile playing at his lips. "I joined the Jaegers in order to change this nation from the inside."

"Change…this nation?"

Run nodded. "This empire is rotten to the core. However, it would have been foolish to openly rebel like those out there."

A sudden voice in the room changed the atmosphere. "It would have been foolish, for you might have been one of those that I would have killed if you rebelled."

Wave spun on his heel, as did Run.

General Esdeath stood before them.

The former teacher took an involuntary step back, his calm demeanor fading away. Wave thought he might've seen a little bit of fear in the man. The General should've been out on the battlefield, quelling the open rebellion – she couldn't have possibly killed them all in such a short amount of time.

It had only been a day!

She walked further into the room, dragging by an icy chain another individual. Wave recognized her as one of Night Raid's assassins – Mine.

"So, is that why you joined my special forces?" Esdeath asked to Run. "You want to change the Empire from the inside? Become an enemy of mines?"

The room started to feel cold.

Wave watched as Run expression turned serious. The General's expression was one of amusement, but that could change in an instant. She was always on guard, always prepared for the next fight. He wasn't sure if he could deal with the death of another Jaeger member. Was this what they had become? Soon, it would just be two Jaegers left – a reluctant warrior, and a dying assassin.

Upon thinking of her, his gaze went over to Kurome.

She was still digging in her bag of snacks, popping the little treats in her mouth. Feeding the addiction. But her eyes were focused on the scene playing out before them.

Esdeath tossed the sniper to the ground, eliciting a yelp from her. The ice that had bound her wrists evaporated, but it wasn't a mercy on the General's part. Almost immediately, a boot slammed on the back of her neck, planting her on the floor. The girl whined out in pain, clenching her fists. Frantically, she looked about, but it was as if she couldn't recognize anything.

Wave was about to remark on it when Esdeath spoke up.

"Well, Budou said the same thing…" she murmured loudly. "And in spite of you admitting that you were a rebel, you have been very loyal to our mission in dealing with the Night Raid. I see no reason to execute you if you won't directly oppose the Empire. And my reputation would be quite bad if I only had one Jaeger left."

"One Jaeger?" Wave asked. "Captain, you're aware of Kurome's condition?"

Esdeath nodded. "It's clear that she's going to die. It must be painful. But you haven't died yet…you must have a strong will to live."

Kurome was still as straight faced as ever. "I can't die until I kill my sister."

"You may see her soon enough. Run, take this girl," at that, Esdeath pressed the heel of her boot to the girl's neck, drawing a grunt, "to my torture chambers. Continue to work as a Jaeger and perhaps I'll ask to get you a political position. It would not hurt to have you in a position of power."

Run nodded. "Understood. If I may ask, why did you bring this girl here and not to the Prime Minister?"

"He is occupied. The girl will wait in my torture chambers while Wave and Kurome come with me to meet with him. He wants to bring in some more Teigu users to deal with Night Raid. And since I've returned a little too early, I must explain to him the reason for my leaving the battlefield early."

Wave and Kurome moved towards their General.

"If we can, we'll force Night Raid to come here. And we can buy some time for Kurome, if this alchemist is what she thinks she is."

"General…do we have any details on the new members?"

"We do," Esdeath answered. "They used to do some work for the Prime Minister's son, Syura. They called themselves Wild Hunt."

* * *

She'd been scared before, but never like this.

Her eyes saw nothing but an assortment of colors, none of which made any sense. She couldn't make out anything – not shapes, not figures, just nothing but colors, most of which were varying levels of black. Mine felt her other sensations, dull as they were, especially in her legs. She could certainly hear the voice of that terrifying woman, Esdeath.

The terrible fear that had overcome her silenced her voice.

Oh, how she wanted to protest as Esdeath described the torture techniques she wanted to try. But her voice would not leave her throat.

Did Esdeath do something to her senses?

She felt hands yanking her off the ground. There was a voice…soft, almost gentle…but she couldn't make out the words. Not while the horrible thoughts ran through her mind.

Why couldn't she see anything?!

_'You're blind.'_

Again, that voice, the one that had took over her body. Mine understood immediately that she wasn't in control of her body, but what kind of Teigu had that ability? What happened after she blacked out?

_'You are blind, Mine. And truthfully, the use of your legs is only because you haven't been able to shut me out completely.'_

She may not have been able to speak with her lips, but this was her mind, damn it!

'Get out of my body! Whoever you are in my mind, I will kill you for this!'

_'You cannot. A contract was made to save your life. If you break it, you will revert back to your previous state.'_

'Who are you?'

_'Kitsune. I am a Teigu. The man known as Tatsumi made a contract on your behalf. I am a part of you – but if you keep rejecting me, I cannot help you.'_

Help her? Mine wanted to shout out for whatever that thing was to get out of her mind. She opened her mouth, and still, no words came out. But this was her body! She was a genius sniper! And her willpower was strong – strong enough to push that damn thing out. But as she thought this, something else happened.

The sensation of her legs faded away and she felt the brisk of wind that came as she fell to a cold floor.

'What?'

"Oh dear…you must still be injured. The General is not known for her mercy," she could hear the individual saying as he picked her up.

_'I must fulfill the contract. Allow me to help you.'_

'Shut it. Why would I need help from you? I am not weak!'

_'But you are. You certainly are not strong enough to walk on your own, and that woman with the dangerous aura seems to dislike you.'_

'And whose fault is that for bringing me to her in the first place?!'

_'I was hasty. I did not realize that talking to her would bring us in this predicament. I did not study your memories well enough.'_

Mine grumbled. 'Just get out of my head. I don't want your help and I don't need it!'

_'A contract is made…breaking it…would not bode well for you. Understand that Tatsumi made the contract to save you. But the longer you hold me down, the more you won't be able to do anything.'_

'Ugh! Stop talking in riddles!'

_'I studied enough of your memories to tell you that when you used up the power of your Teigu – Pumpkin, was it? – the effects destroyed your body. Even if you had somehow lived, your Teigu fed off your mental focus. I am the only thing keeping your psyche intact…without me, you will remain unfocused, and it's likely you'll forget who you were.'_

A sinking feeling descended in her heart. 'What are…are you saying?'

_'I should be more clear. I apologize. You are blind and crippled, Mine. Unless you stop holding me back, you will never walk or see again.'_


	5. Kill the New Plan

**_A/N: Alright...gotta do my work thing, so my next chapter is likely to be delayed by a few days or so. But no worries, the next update will come soon. _**

Even though this was a long time coming, Tatsumi couldn't help but feel nervous about the rebellion. It wouldn't be long before the Revolutionary Army breached the walls of the Empire. This long struggle would end soon – and either the Empire would continue to oppress the people, or a new era would begin. Even he could feel the tension in the air as he walked through the late afternoon streets.

Like him, Akame wore a simple hooded parka over her head.

It wouldn't do any good to get caught yet again. The Palace would be where the true target was – and likely where the best of the Emperor's guards would be waiting.

For Mine's sake, for his village back home, for even the thousands of citizens tired of their horrible treatment – he would do his part to end the corruption. He missed the fun times…the times when he could laugh with his friends, when people didn't die.

The two of them came to a stop in a crowd standing before yet another public demonstration of the Empire's cruelty.

Once, a long time ago, such a sight would have shaken Tatsumi to his core. For a brief moment, his memories flashed back to the time when he found Sayo and Ieyasu in that shed. He remembered feeling appalled and horrified at the sight, and his body went numb on him. Gruesome violence still made him feel incredibly uneasy, but he was starting to become a bit more used to seeing such things.

"Is that a bad thing," he wondered aloud, looking at his hands. Hands that had been stained with blood many times.

Would Esdeath die by his hands as well?

There was speculation amongst the crowd.

"They said they were Revolutionary spies."

"Was this meant as a warning?"

Akame stared at the bodies for a long moment. Tatsumi couldn't even begin to wonder what had been going through her mind. Her absence of emotion startled him from time to time, but that's what it took to survive through whatever it was that she had been in.

"Let's go," she suddenly said. "We should rest here for the night and then go back."

"Good idea," he said, following her.

As they pulled away from the crowd, Tatsumi could see that the façade pulling at the assassin's face was starting to fade a little. There was something on her mind, and he already had an idea of what.

"Thinking about your sister?"

Akame gave a simple nod.

He didn't like to pry, so he said nothing else. The walk to the pub where their other hideout wasn't that far of a walk. But with most of the street empty, either due to fearful residents hiding indoors or drawn by the brutal display not too far away, it was an awkward walk in silence. She wasn't the person with heavy thoughts on her mind when it came to someone special. Tatsumi tried to keep his thoughts away from Mine.

She was dead.

And he had saved her life.

Would she understand what he did? That contract he made – the Relic never specified the terms of the agreement. He just said yes and – POOF! – Mine was back to the world of the living. Where had the Relic gone?

As usual, the pub was empty.

Akame took her usual spot on a nearby chair and took out the sword with which she had claimed many lives. She held it up in the light, examining the deadly weapon. He couldn't imagine how much care it took to perform maintenance on that thing.

"Akame, can I ask you something?"

Without breaking her gaze from the sword, she nodded.

"Do you think I made a mistake?"

"With what?"

"Mine."

Akame produced a white cloth from the side of the couch. "You saved one of our friends. That's all that matters, isn't it?"

Tatsumi bit his lip. "Yeah…but…"

"Just be happy that you were able to keep her alive. I'm sure she'll say something like that when you see her again."

'Well, not exactly,' he thought to himself.

He could envision Mine saying something different.

_"Of course you saved me. I risked my life to save you – it's only right that a man pays back his debt to a lady. If you hadn't gotten captured in the first place!"_

'Maybe not.'

But thinking of her now, he couldn't help but crack a smile. Of course, Mine would still be proud and boastful. She hadn't been like that for a few days, but she was still herself. When he got back to her, he would hug her again – for some reason, he wanted to be the man that she deserved. Even though he didn't think that she would actually care for him in that manner, she liked him…if this was what that guy meant about red string of fate, then maybe it was really worth a shot.

* * *

"So these two are still around…"

Suzuka frowned as she stared down at the pub. She certainly enjoyed the torture that the Prime Minister had given her – the painful scars on her back were still sore, causing a blush to rise on her face. He had told her to survey the city and report back before night fell. This had been quite the catch – two Night Raid members so close to the palace.

But as the only Rakshasa Demon, she wondered if she could take both of them on.

Tatsumi dropped a damn ruin on her. Ingenius. And perhaps a little bit scary.

She wanted to toy with him some more. But that other girl, Akame, would've been a bit of a problem. It simply wasn't fair to fight somebody who could instantly kill you with a scratch.

She smiled.

"I guess I'll just report back to Honest. Maybe he can help me separate them."

She rubbed at the back of her head – the slight headache from remembering her last battle still remained fresh in her mind. It would've been nice to fight Tatsumi again. Maybe next time, she would allow that big stick of his to poke her.

The thought caused an even fiercer blush to rise to her face.

"I can't wait for you to punish me…right before I kill you," Suzuka was smiling fully now. She started for the palace, eager to hear what Honest would say to her.

* * *

"Pacing around isn't going to bring her back to us," Najenda had said. She was trying to remain calm, but the nervousness she felt was almost overwhelming. It didn't help that Leone was pacing back and forth.

"Boss, we just went all out just to get Tatsumi back! Why would Mine just disappear like this?"

"I don't know…Tatsumi told us she just wanted to rest."

"What if she went to join them!?"

"Calm down," Najenda said understandably. "They'll be back in the morning. We can't go to the Empire, not right now."

Leone grunted. It was the best that Najenda could say in a time like this. Like Leone, she was worried because now one of their own was missing. And it was unlike Mine…everything concerning Tatsumi lately was unlike her. But even now, with Akame accompanying him, it was still strange of her to disappear.

Their strength was not nearly what it used to be. Even with Leone, she doubted that they'd be able to escape if they were caught in the capital.

"We'll wait for now…Esdeath is occupied in battle, but if Kurome is in the capital with Wave and Run, the two of us would have a hard fight on our hands."

"I know, Boss," Leone said dejectedly, finally ceasing her pacing. She'd been in her Beast mode for hours, hoping to pick up any sign of which way Mine had gone. But the girl's trail disappeared at the window.

With the Revolutionary Army marching and battling in full force, it would be a long time before they answered her message birds. That new Relic that was in Mine...Najenda was sure that it was playing some kind of role in this latest disappearance.

"We'll find her," she said, unsure if she really believed the words herself.

'Tatsumi, what have you done?'

* * *

As was customary, Esdeath bowed her head in front of Prime Minister Honest. Night was falling, and though the Prime Minister had been gracious enough to allow her and her crew to relax at his dining quarters and feast, she couldn't help but feel that he was stalling for time. Why didn't he want to meet with her immediately?

There were battles raging outside of the walls, and she honestly wanted to participate in them.

This politicking was truthfully quite annoying. What was the point of talk when everything in life could've been settled with a battle to the death?

She lifted her head and met Honest's eyes. "I had one of my Jaegers bring the girl to my torture chamber. For now, she should be tied up."

"You've brought up a good capture, especially after the blunder at the public execution, but why didn't you just kill her? Isn't that what you created the Jaegers for? There wasn't a need to return from the battlefield, was there?"

"I apologize," Esdeath half-lied, "But, we could use her to draw out the rest of Night Raid and finish them off for good."

'And bring Tatsumi back to me,' she thought to herself.

Honest wiped the juices of the large slab of meat he had just eaten from his lips. "We did that once with the boy, and that led to the death of the Great General. I would prefer Night Raid to not be anywhere near the palace…those rebellious peasants are getting bolder because of those assassins."

It was true that Esdeath truly didn't have any political aspirations. It was in combat where she truly belonged – a field where the strong dominated the weak. Run's words came to mind. The rebellion might've succeeded, but there would still be battles. Though Esdeath was not pleased with the thought that the Empire she was supposed to protect might lose, especially now that morale was starting to fall, she was equally excited at the thought that there would still be a place for her.

A battlefield in which she would still be able to call home.

But before that would ever occur…

"Night Raid is going to continue to be a problem until we eradicate them completely. They'll come for the girl, whether it's a living body or a corpse. It is just a matter of…doing things a little differently."

Another presence suddenly erupted into the room.

Esdeath looked towards the source – a window from which a familiar face had climbed through.

It was the last Demon.

"Oh?" the General smiled with mild amusement. "I had thought you were killed along with Seryu."

Suzuka shook her head. "We Demons underwent the most intense of training. It would take more than a ruin dropped on my head to kill me."

"Perhaps I should torture you then for allowing one of my subordinates to be killed."

At that, Esdeath could swear she saw a smile on the scarred woman's face.

"We already tried torturing her," Honest interjected. "She enjoyed it far too much, so she was assigned to reconnaissance. Have you found anything?"

Suzuka nodded. "Yes. Tatsumi and Akame are in the city. They're sleeping in a pub right now…probably unaware that I know about them."

"So they think they can just sneak around town, do they?"

'Tatsumi is here?!'

Esdeath's heart beat quickened. The chance to get near him again. It seemed that the stars were aligning just for their chance meeting. The Prime Minister was surely aware that she had a special thing for him. And yet, he had never derided her or really spoken to her about it. She never questioned why, only followed his orders to march on the battlefield and fight.

Perhaps she could still bring Tatsumi over to the Empire without having him murdered.

"I have an idea…" Esdeath spoke up, drawing the attention of the other two individuals. "There are still many spies in the city. If we attack Akame and Tatsumi now, I could probably kill them. But knowing Najenda, she'll go even deeper into hiding…it'll be difficult to root out those last two. She'll plan, and the rebellion will continue to grow as long as they have morale on their side."

"You should like you have an idea," Honest said aloud.

"I do," she said. "We'll be moving the girl to one of the cities that the rebellion thinks they claimed. And I'll kill them all without fail. There's a large number of Teigu users there, anyways. We'll let them think that I would be too exhausted to have a fight."

"That'll be a long battle, even for someone as talented as you, Esdeath."

"You said you were putting the Wild Hunt in my employ. It wouldn't be too long. And Night Raid is smart enough to know that it is a trap. And naïve enough to actually come spring it. We'll finish them off there, and then we'll display their bodies as a message."

"Don't take long," Honest said in a gentle tone. "The rebellion will notice your movement, and they will take advantage of it."

"But you have your trump card, do you not?"

Honest laughed. "Of course, you would know about that, wouldn't you?"

"We'll have Night Raid soon…and then this rebellion will turn tail and flee."

A blush came over Esdeath's face. 'And then, Tatsumi will finally learn to change his ways and come to my side.'

Another individual entered the room – a young woman. The alchemist, Dorothea. "Lady Esdeath," she bowed, "your assassin won't be ready for another week or so, but I'm sure that I can prolong her life. She might end up a little more…warped."

"That's fine," Esdeath said. "When she's recovered, I want you to tell her where to go. I will show you on the map. I want her to meet me there…I wonder if Night Raid is willing to fight their friend if she's a puppet."


	6. Kill the Silence

Dawn was starting to rise over the horizon. The morning dew settled in nicely with the greenery of the palace gardens, providing the perfect environment for a brisk walk before the heat could begin to settle in. But for the servant walking amongst the wet grass, it was anything but a peaceful morning. Talk of General Esdeath's return had been rampant, even in the walls of the palace. His fellow spies had been getting rounded up along with innocent people accused of sympathizing with the rebels and the bloodshed was truly starting to stench the air.

There were a lot of movements in the palace.

The Jaegers were mobilizing. They had bolstered their numbers with some truly nasty individuals.

It wasn't easy to gather intel with so many powerful entities gathered around him.

Paranoia was rampant in the air and he was sure that eventually, he would be caught as a spy and slain. And yet, he tried to act as natural as possible. The garden needed to be tended to, and the message tucked under his sleeve needed to be tied to the ankle of his carrier raven before those cruel eyes turned upon him.

The irony of needing to relay a message to the Night Raid did not escape him.

They were supposed to be the ones who provided intel to the revolution. But the fighting had been fierce, leaving the Army with little resources outside of battle to help their assassins.

"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" said the cheerful Run as he passed by the spy.

It was easy to hide his shock behind a smile. He waved to the Jaeger, "It sure is. What are you doing this fine morning?"

"I thought I'd get some fresh air for once and take a walk. It is times like these where the little moments count, right?"

"Yes," agreed the spy.

He watched ever so cautiously as the man walked onward, eventually disappearing behind the garden exit. Though he possessed no Teigu himself, the spy was sure that he might stand a chance against someone like Run. The man seemed so unlike a Jaeger – he seemed soft-hearted by nature, even more so than Wave.

Though he wished he could provide more information on the Jaegers, perhaps some kind of weakness for Night Raid to exploit, the spy knew that his window would be fast closing. He took a quick glance around, and then made for the nearest tree where his messenger ravens hung. They were trained incredibly well, though most of the spies using them to relay messages were dead.

He hoped not to be one of them.

One of the ravens answered his low-pitched whisper and soared from a tree branch, perching itself on his arm. The spy again looked around.

Satisfied that there were no other presences nearby, he pulled the tiny message from the crook of his sleeve and tied it to the raven's ankle. "Night Raid," he said, and sent it away with the flick of his wrist.

As the raven flew away, a strange sensation began to fill his hand. He saw a feather – but it wasn't the jet black feather of a raven. No, this one was lighter colored…and thicker…and jammed through his palm.

"What…?"

A terrible cold enveloped his legs.

His thighs.

His waist.

The ice continued to climb up his body, setting his entire body into a panic. But he couldn't flee, couldn't hide away – he already knew that he was dead. The ice didn't stop until only his head was free. He wanted to shiver, but the ice had frozen his body entirely. A terrible frost escaped his lips with each breath. It hurt, feeling the bones in his body beginning to chill.

Run walked past him with a scowl on his face.

Esdeath joined him. "I wondered what took you so long," she said to the spy. "If it had been any of the others, you might have died instantly. Tell me what you sent to Najenda."

The spy wanted to spit at the vile woman. Damn her! But it was as if the saliva in his mouth had dried up. His lips were trembling – whether from the pain or from the cold, he didn't know. "I-I-I'll tell you nothing."

"Really, we already knew you were a spy," she said back. "But my plan counts on Najenda knowing just how much you reported to her. Are you willing to die slowly for it?"

"No matter how many of us you kill, w-w will n-n-n-not bow down to y-you!"

"Admirable," Esdeath said, and then looked to Run. "I'll deal with him. Wave should be visiting the grave site of Bors. Tell him we move at noon."

Run nodded. The spy noticed that the young man had wings – it surely must've been a Teigu. As if confirming his thoughts, the wings suddenly retracted behind the young blonde before fading away. A word of acknowledgement came from him and then he was off to the palace.

Now it was just the spy and the Empire's most powerful.

"You know," started Esdeath. "I've been thinking of something recently. I can make my ice appear out of thin air, no matter where I am at. I had wondered if I could make it disappear at will as well, instead of it fading away whenever I was done controlling it. And so when I gave it a thought, I practiced making it go away on my command. And I have to waste this new discovery on some revolution rat…honestly…"

The spy ground his teeth. "B-b-bitch…"

"That does not offend me in the slightest," Esdeath had remarked. "I need to see something, so if you can survive through this, I might consider offering you mercy and killing you. You may scream, if you'd like. I frequent these gardens a lot, and I seem to have scared most people away from coming near here."

This woman…she wasn't mocking, she was speaking as if stating facts. Oh, there was definitely malice in her tone, but it was as if she had been making a commentary more to herself than anything. She held up her fingers, and then snapped.

Every emotion within the spy screamed out bloody murder. He was sure that his screams could've been heard in the entirety of the Empire. There were tears already forming at the corners of his eyes, but it felt as though they had been frozen from falling.

"Hmm…" Esdeath put a pensive finger and thumb to her chin. "No blood…just like I commanded my ice, your left knee also exploded and turned into mist. But only the part I blew out…the rest of your leg is still in the ice. Interesting. I wonder how long he'll survive while I do this to the rest of his body."

True to her word, Esdeath 'disappeared' another part of his body – just his right shoulder this time.

The spy lasted only 5 agonizing minutes.

His body, like the ice that Esdeath systematically evaporated, wisped away into the air.

* * *

_'Please, do not panic right now.'_

Those sounded like concerning words, but the Relic speaking them was unable to bring any emotions to them. Mine somehow felt even more concerned than before. She felt so tired and exhausted. She didn't even want to open her eyes.

Not that it would have helped in her situation.

She was blind.

Permanently, as far as she knew.

All was quiet in what she assumed was the torture chamber that Esdeath had her brought to. Even if she had not heard the conversation between the sadist and one of her Jaegers, it was impossible to ignore the stench of death and blood. And the smell was incredibly powerful here. She wanted to run away, but there was something tying her body to the cold metal table where she had been put down.

She didn't know if the bindings extended to her legs, because she couldn't even feel them.

This was quite the pinch that she had found herself in.

But instead of finding determination in the situation that she used to thrive on in order to survive a battle, Mine was terrified. All that work to get her boyfriend back, and now she was going to die painfully here.

The fear had honestly brought tears to her eyes. And there was nobody around to wipe them away.

"Tatsumi," she sniffled, lips trembling as she fought back the cry threatening to escape her throat. More than ever, she wanted someone familiar to be here with her. She wanted to be at Tatsumi's side, holding his hand.

_'Why do you continue to refuse me?'_

"Shut up!" Mine suddenly screamed out, not caring if there was anyone in the room with her. "You stupid thing! It's your fault!"

_ 'But I can get us out of here. Allow me to fix this.'_

"No…just leave me alone. You've already done enough by getting me killed."

She could almost feel the presence of Kitsune – the very image of a white fox appeared in her thoughts, turning its head in confusion. _'You were already dead, though. I don't understand.'_

"I won't let you take over my body again…never…never again!"

Her shouts echoed across the room. For a moment, Mine had been concerned that maybe somebody had heard her words, but there was nothing in the room. Kitsune bowed its head – was it…sad? No, it didn't matter. This thing had caused too many problems. She was about to say something else when the fox faded from her thoughts. Kitsune's presence faded a great deal as well. Though Mine could tell that the Relic was still inside of her, the fox was trying to hide.

Why didn't the damn thing just leave already?

"Say…are you done screaming?"

The chilling voice had terrified Mine even further. Mine wasn't skilled like the other Night Raid members in feeling out the strong desires of their enemies. Those with a strong instinct, like Esdeath, was almost difficult for even her to ignore – but the person speaking had been so close and Mine had no idea.

She knew exactly who it was, too.

"Kurome…"

"It sounds like you are losing your mind. But I'll take care of that for you. I thought Seryu was always weird, but she was still my comrade," Kurome said. "I really want to kill my sister, though. Say, how close are you and my sis?"

Mine grew silent. She preferred to be a good distance from this girl. The memories of the last battle against her kept her on edge.

She could hear Kurome sighing next to her.

"I never really had a chance to speak to my enemy before. I would rather learn some things about my sis before I turned you into one of my puppets."

Mine's heartbeat quickened. "I don't care how much you hate your sister, but I won't let you use me to get to her."

Kurome didn't waste a breath in her response, "I love Akame. That's why I have to kill her. Esdeath wants you to draw Tatsumi to her again. You were a good sniper, right? You'd be a good collection. If you tell me about my sis, I think I can make it happen sooner than later."

"You won't kill me now?" Mine uttered in defiance.

"Not until we get on the road. Unless you try to escape. But please, answer my question. My sis. What is she like?"

All the while Kurome was talking, Mine because aware of the presence of something incredibly dangerous nearby. She could almost visualize the young assassin's Teigu – was this some of the power of Kitsune?

"Why are you talking to me?"

It was Mine's voice, but it wasn't what she wanted to say. Kitsune's influence was strong, strong enough that Mine knew that she was no longer in possession of her own body. She could see everything clearly now. The disgusting blood on the walls around them, sights that would have made her ill enough to throw up had she not have seen such things before. She could even feel her legs.

Kurome was looking at her – the girl didn't look anything like the excited killer they had fought in the valley. Bandages covered her neck. Black circles developed under her eyes. She honestly looked frail and broken, as if she could die at any moment. Her body slouched over the chair where she sat, but her eyes did not leave Mine's face.

"What do you mean?" Kurome asked. "I always talk to my puppets when I'm by myself. They don't talk back though. Say, will you talk when you come back?"


	7. Kill the Demon

_**A/N: Is it me, or has anybody else ever noticed that whenever a non-important female is killed in the anime, they always go 'Eh?' as if it's this show's running gag? I always found that odd.**_

"What do you mean, she's gone?!"

Tatsumi's voice boomed across the room. Panic and fear were quickly settling in as many thoughts ran through his mind, most of them unpleasant and painful. She ran out to look for him, and he didn't want to believe that Leone and Najenda just sat there while an injured comrade of theirs was roaming around during a revolution.

But that's exactly what they did.

Najenda's gaze, still as cool as it was the day before, never wavered from his face, even as dozens of emotions played across his facial features. Missing was the usual smoke that came from the tip of her cigarette holder. In fact, the cigarette holder itself was also missing, and Najenda was holding up a fragment of Mine's Pumpkin.

"We hoped that she was with you. And then we got a note from one of our spies that she Jaegers ended up catching her."

A hot anger flashed through the young assassin. That foolish girl, suddenly chasing off after him yet again! "Then we don't have any time. We need to get Mine out of there."

"And then what?" Najenda asked plainly, before turning her gaze to angry Leone and flustered Akame. "We're not nearly at the same strength that we've had before. Esdeath just recently acquired more members to add to the Jaegers. Fighting that woman with Susanoo led to his death…we're down with just the four of us, and I am not in fighting shape after the last couple of days. Neither are you, Tatsumi."

He clicked his teeth. Once again, the rational words of Najenda threatened to make too much sense, and it wasn't something that he wanted to hear. The coliseum spectacle seemed like a while ago, and the soreness from dehydration in that prison hadn't fully worn off. The fight with Budo certainly left some lingering pains behind. His thoughts shuffled to news of the Jaegers. The tension in his muscles relaxed little by little.

"Do you understand now?" Najenda asked aloud, again looking around the room. "There is no getting around this…this is likely going to be a mission in which we could all very possibly die."

"Mission? Then, Boss, you-" Leone was cut off when Najendra rose.

"The Night Raid's mission is to break through the Jaegers and recover Mine."

Najendra stood and handed a slip of paper to Leone first. A long moment of silence passed as the three active assassins read the shaky words written on the paper.

Tatsumi grimaced. "They're moving her?"

"We can't discount the possibility that Esdeath is setting a trap for us. The only thing we have going for us is that Wave and Kurome will be staying behind in the Capital for a week. We're going to have to sneak there and get out."

"Isn't there a Revoluntary Army troop there?" Akame wondered aloud.

"They'll probably be slaughtered…" came the grim tone.

"Then shouldn't we warn the Army!" exclaimed Leone.

But Najenda shook her head. "I already sent the message, but right now, we need to move. I'm sure that the Army will order us there anyways, but it will take too long to get the message across. I've requested that they send a Manta Ray to transport us there, but that could take a few days. In the meantime, I need you to prepare yourselves for what could be our biggest fight. But we're getting Mine back."

"Boss…" Tatsumi started. "Thank you."

Najenda smiled.

Tatsumi knew that they weren't completely doing it for his sake. The actual reasons didn't matter. He wanted to move out now, but the Jaegers were probably already long gone. He stared down at his fist, remembering the feel of Mine's ribbon when he set out with Akame yesterday.

"I'll be back," he said.

There was always something he would do whenever he was thinking about somebody. Whether it was his old friends or any of the comrades that had been lost in their fight for a new Empire, it calmed his mind and helped him to regain some measure of clarity. As he stepped outside and away from Akame's worrying gaze, Tatsumi imagined the ribbon swaying in his palm. The field of grass where he would overlook the various landscapes across the distance seemed peaceful and serene, unlike the turmoil boiling in his heart.

"Please let this work out," he said aloud, tightly gripping the handle of the sword hanging from his backside.

A small prickling shook the young man from his thoughts. "What the hell?"

His fingers felt something hard and prickly at his neck. Pulling at it, ignoring the sharp pains that pierced his fingers, Tatsumi yanked out a thorny dart. "Who's there?"

"Fufufu," laughed the masochistic voice of Suzuka as she emerged from a nearby shrub. She was holding the empty tube where she had fired the dart. "I wondered if Night Raid's headquarters was nearby when I saw you last night. We're pretty far away from them right now, aren't we?"

'Shit!'

Tatsumi's thoughts were rampant – how was she still alive?!

"You weren't bad back then. And I hear that you caught Esdeath's eyes and I've been curious. Outside of your armor, I think I might see a little bit of innocence. Cute."

"What are you people doing to Mine?"

"Who knows?" Suzuka shrugged, tossing the blow dart to the side. "I just came here to give you that present. I was hoping to kill one of your comrades, but I guess they're too far away to hear us. What a shame."

"You think you can kill us?" Tatsumi said, drawing out his sword. "I'll finish the job this time."

Suzuka held up a hand. "No really, I just came to make sure you got the note. Not a fight. We can fight it out another time."

"Incursio!"

With the words leaving his lips, Tatsumi felt the power of his Teigu surging in his veins. The light grey armor materialized over his flesh almost instantly, the sword in his hand being replaced with the long spearhead aimed at Suzuka. The moment the transformation ended, he lunged at the Demon – the playful look in her eyes never faded, even as the tip of his spear came within inches of her body.

She moved unnaturally fast, reaching for the spear for a counterattack.

Tatsumi was prepared.

Their last battle went the way that it did because of inexperience. That difference still lay in place – but Tatsumi learned. He stopped his spear mid-thrust, watched for that split second when she would grab for it. The brief surprise on her face was all he needed to know. The spear slanted to the side, its very tip slicing across the skin underneath Suzuka's right breast.

She stepped back, smiling, a blush rising over her cheeks.

Unfazed by the masochist, he continued to press forward, stabbing at her abdomen and swinging high. Each strike was batted away as though it were a minor inconvenience. Every muscle burned with each movement, each swing of the massive polearm taking some stamina away.

One of the swings swept low to her ankles.

Suzuka leapt high enough to go over Tatsumi's head – her smiling, but determined expression belied the true intent behind the emotion. Her arms flicked to his neck, tugging hard as she came down on her bare toes, her hips thrust against Tatsumi's back. His body seized as his feet flew up in the air, carried by Suzuka's momentum.

The armor made such a loud thud upon impact – it was nothing compared to the pain Tatsumi had felt coming from his own body.

It wasn't a low groan that escaped his lips, but rather a loud roar of pain that escaped his lips. Fighting to keep his hand from clenching, he pressed his knuckles against his armor as if trying to grab his heart.

Suzuka grabbed his polearm.

Weakly, Tatsumi tried to yank it away, but Suzuka easily pulled it away and flung it across the field.

Again, he painfully roared quite loudly. His whole body went rigid as a throbbing pain circulated.

"Oh…that worked pretty fast. It's not even at its most potent yet," Suzuka murmured, pulling out a small bag. She touched at the bloody soreness where Tatsumi's bladed weapon sliced into flesh. It didn't hurt as much as she'd expected, but even this little bit felt better than anything the Empire's torturers could have given her. She dipped her bloody fingers into the pouch, pulling out green grains.

"W-What did you do to me?" Tatsumi choked through bated breaths.

"I wasn't even expecting a fight…I really was planning to just leave you alone. But, since I have an opportunity…the Prime Minister made this especially for you," she blew the grains directly into the face mask, "Tatsumi."

Tatsumi might've been confident that he could avoid inhaling anything that came to him. After all, he was able to swim a good distance underwater once while escaping Wave. It would stand to reason th-

A foul smell filled his nose.

"You breathe in oxygen from inside that armor, don't you? You think we would have this without taking that into account?"

"Tatsumi! You bitch!" Leone sprung into action, fully transformed into her Beast State.

"Shit!" Suzuka grimaced, taking a step away from Tatsumi. With just enough strength to fight back, he kicked at her leg and felt the impact of his metal foot against the side of her kneecap.

Suzuka's stance dropped just slightly, and Leone's clawed fist collided into Suzuka's jaw.

She spun a few times into the air before collapsing to the ground, somehow landing on her feet.

"So you're here," Suzuka laughed, wiping her bloody lip. "What now? We fight to the death at this point? Where's your little assassin at, hmm?"

Suzuka glanced around.

"Eliminate!" came Akame's catchphrase as the little assassin leapt from a nearby tree and descended rapidly. Suzuka took a step back in preparation for dodging the attack, but her knee buckled violently. A mixture of pain and pleasure rushed to her cheeks as she held up her arm, hoping that these assassins would take that as a sign of surrender.

Like her, they were also killers – and Akame's unwavering dive played right into her palms. With the flick of her other wrist, she fired her nails directly at the girl. Akame shielded herself with her forearm protectors, repelling some of the nails – but one caught Akame on the cheek.

She took a simple step back as the cursed sword narrowly missed carving into her chest.

The return swing nearly caught Suzuka, clashing against her breastplate. The thrill of such a battle emboldened her as her foot caught Akame in the gut, knocking her back. Leone came forward with a straight haymaker, and found her arm being wrapped into her hold. Suzuka wrenched the blonde's arm back, snapping the elbow joint as she jabbed four nails into the woman's back.

The sudden jolt of pain startled Suzuka as Leone's foot caught her in the injured knee.

She involuntarily released Leone, and Akame leapt into action once more.

"Eh?" the last Demon murmured.

The full length of the sword dragged across her body, her own blood staining the sword. Suzuka knew it immediately – she would be dead in just a few moments. Already, the cursed symbols were spreading from her open wounds, like baby spiders from a mother spider's back, covered her body with the writings.

"I never…got to experience Esdeath's…" she said, trying to speak through a throat that felt as though it were being crushed.

As silent as she had appeared to attack, Suzuka dropped silently to the grass – the last Demon perished from the world.

The Incursio armor faded, but the young man inhabiting the armor lay on the grass, clutching violently at his chest. His screams of pain faded into choked murmurs as he writhed on the ground, and not even the words of Leone or Akame could reach him. Najenda, standing in the background, scanning the area around her, could only bark commands as she continued to watch the landscape around them.

Tatsumi felt the blood in his veins boiling. The thumping of his heartbeat drowned out nearly everything else.

'Am I going to die?' he thought to himself as he could only lie on the ground helplessly as the poison continued to work its way through his veins.


	8. Kill the Foreshadowing

The battle lasted only a few minutes, but the damage was substantial. On edge and waiting for a follow-up attack, Tatsumi tried many times to slide out of his bed, only for Akame to push him back down. The pain lingered long after the fight, and even as it faded away, he could still feel something rippling through his veins. Morning had long passed, and the sun sat high in the sky, pouring hot sunrays through the window of his room.

Shirtless, Tatsumi sat up once more.

Akame did not try to stop him this time, only fidgeting with the red tie around her neck. "I…" she opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and turned her gaze away from him.

"That was pretty…intense," he tried to joke, though even his voice was weak.

"I should've sensed her earlier. If I had, I might've been able to stop her from doing that to you."

There were signs of stress on her face. Not because of the bandage that had covered where Suzuka cut her cheek, but because of the tired gaze of her eyes. Or were those signs that she'd been crying?

"I don't think that she was here to kill me."

Slowly, her downtrodden eyes looked up to him. "You're still hurt."

"Ah…" was all he could say.

The days when he first began his assignment in Night Raid might have had a different ending if he fought Suzuka back then. The thought of his first time completing an assignment, and the way Akame stripped off his shirt after it was finished, threw him headlong into memories that he hadn't given much thought to.

He grabbed her hand and said to her, "Well, I guess this time, I really was poisoned, huh?"

It was an honest attempt at another joke. These days, too much tragedy had fallen on the Night Raid. Being prepared to die for the right thing didn't make it any easier on the living. Akame looked as though she would burst into tears at any moment. But she was strong – strong enough to flip off her emotions as she exhaled.

"That wasn't General Ogre this time. But if we've been found out, we'll have to leave this place soon."

"Yea…"

Tatsumi wasn't sure what to say at the moment. Mine was still in the clutches of the Empire. The thought alone worried him, and that worry started turning into that strong desire to go into the Capital. His legs felt like jelly and his sword was tossed haphazardly across the room – likely as his comrades tried to get him into the bed.

"Sleep," Akame said, pressing him back to the bed.

"I'd feel bad if I had to have you watch over me like this."

"I don't mind at all," she replied. "The poison doesn't seem to be causing you any more pain. And it's best if you rest right now."

"I guess I don't have a choice."

Even Tatsumi, inexperienced as he was, could see the brief blush that she gave as he turned away from her and closed his eyes. But beneath that, he could sense something else. Akame was good at many things, certainly better than he was at certain tasks. But even he could tell when she was lying about the poison in his body.

* * *

'What's going to happen to me?'

She was glad that Kitsune retreated back into her subconscious when it did, but it didn't make Mine no less worried when all she heard were footsteps around her. The presence of Akame's sister was good, but she heard nothing else. Her body had involuntarily moved, and she suspected that something was going on – she could not figure out what, however.

Kitsune had fallen completely silent.

'Are you there?'

Where had the Relic gone? It wasn't as if there were a whole lot of places that she could disappear to in her mind.

'Please…don't leave me alone right now.'

The darkness was terrifying. Unable to see anything, unable to move her legs, unable to even move because of the bindings on her wrists, Mine felt so much more helpless with the absence of the Relic. Where was Tatsumi? Where was the Night Raid?

'Please come back.'

A sniff.

Tatsumi ran through her thoughts.

'Don't leave me…'

"Oh…this one does cry," said a gruff voice, one she was wholly unfamiliar with. A male…she could smell the faint musk of his cologne. "She's too old for my standards, though. This one is already tainted with adulthood. Flat chest, nice skin…I'm not interested in taking this one."

"You're so weird, Champ," came another voice, this one belonging to a female, and one that almost sounded as though it were singing. "You wouldn't do anything to her, then?"

"Not interested. Too old. You can have her."

"What, here? It's too…bloody here," the female said. "It wouldn't be appropriate. I can't perform in a place like this. What about that Wave guy? Maybe he could lead us to some interesting areas. We haven't been in the Capital for a while."

"We're leaving in the few hours. General's orders."

"Hmph. To think I have to waste my time killing other assassins."

"This one is coming with us, right? Why don't we…soften her up?"

Another voice entered into the conversation. "You will not touch her," said Run. "My apologies, but the General said that she wanted no harm to come to this girl."

There were more words that came after that, but Mine no longer listened to them – was her fate really being decided between Run and the two other individuals? Could she not do anything?

'You took over my body once before, so why don't you do it again?!'

The silence in her thoughts was almost deafening.

'Why did you even bother coming out before? Huh?! What good are you?!'

The presence returned – but it was like a door that opened only slightly. The half-hidden head of a white fox flashed in her mind. _'I have tried to leave your body, Mine. I cannot. You must release the contract, since it was made on your behalf.'_

'I…' her thoughts trailed off.

Blind and crippled…was that the life that awaited her? Would it have been better to just simply die?

_'My ability is not simply to move into a host's body. Have you not noticed? I restore what once was. However, I feed off your memories in order to do that. To learn what it means to be human, I must feed. I must gain knowledge. Release the contract now, and I can move on to another host. That other woman…that Esdeath…she may accept my contract, or I may disappear once more. But it is up to you at this point, Mine.'_

* * *

The grave of Bols was sitting out in the open on the hill – a fittingly somber area considering whose body was laid underneath the ground. Wave had smiled softly as he laid a hand on the gravestone, closing his eyes.

"We will make the Empire a better place. Rest easy in the afterlife. Esdeath will find a way to stop this revolution."

Short and to the point.

Wave was never good with overly long words. But Bols would surely be happy if he heard Wave now. The one guy that he judged upon seeing him for the first time turned out to be one of his favorite comrades. The man deserved better, and his family deserved him to be back in their lives.

"Oh, you came to visit my husband today?"

Wave turned and saw the beautiful face of Bols' wife. She smiled gently as she nodded to the bouquet of flowers in her arms. Standing by her side was her daughter, who was not smiling as much as her mother. Nobody should have to lose a loving father, and seeing the girl trying to hold back many tears had hit his heart hard.

"I did…Bols was a really good friend."

The wife nodded and passed by Wave, gently tapping him on the shoulder.

"He liked you…considered you to be a good friend as well. I'm sure my husband would be pleased to know that even now, he has good people that care a lot for him."

All Wave could manage was a simple smile.

In truth, he really wanted to break down in tears. They were already threatening to come out of the corner of his eyes. But the wife wasn't crying – she was smiling, perhaps very genuinely, and the daughter was also holding back her tears. They were strong enough to accept that Bols was gone.

Wave had to be strong enough, too.

"If you ever need anything, you can let me know. I'll do whatever it is you need me to do."

The wife, still smiling, shook her head. "It's alright. Esdeath provided us a lot of money. But if you could, please visit here tomorrow? We could pray for my husband together."

"I would be honored," Wave said, and then he kneeled on the ground to face her daughter. "Are there any sweets you would like me to bring?"

Her eyes instantly perked up. "Chocolate!"

"That was quick," he chuckled. "I'll make sure to bring you some chocolate tomorrow, then."

"Thank you, Wave," she cheered and then launched herself into Wave, throwing her tiny arms around him. "Thank you for being my daddy's friend. Thank you for watching over him. Thank you…thank…you…"

She sniffed.

He sniffed.

She bawled.

Wave cried.

Bols' wife kneeled close to the ground, and the three of them fell into a long embrace…long enough that the sun had already begun to change its position when they finally were able to separate.

It took a few minutes longer for the individuals to compose themselves, but when they had, it was Wave who broke the silence. "I've gotten pretty good at making things. What do you say we have a chocolate truffle tomorrow."

"I don't know what that is," the little girl admitted. "But it sounds yummy!"

"Tomorrow at noon, then," Wave shot her a thumbs-up, and then walked away from the gravesite.

Run was leaning nearby against a tree. Wave approached him, but the former teacher made no move or indication that he was aware of the fisherman. "Yo…"

Snapped from his trance, the blonde smiled and looked at the young man. "Oh, sorry…I was caught up in my thoughts.

"That's not like you, Run. Did you meet the new members yet?"

"Yeah…I did…"

The gentle enthusiasm that had come to define Run faded at the mention of the Wild Hunt members. "What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing. We're actually pretty late…Esdeath is ready to move out."

"Oh. I hope she doesn't punish me again."

"I'm sure she'd understand that you were with Bols' family. It's time to move, though. I'm sure she wants you to make a judgment call on whether Kurome will be ready to join us when her healing is done."

"Ah…yea."

Wave walked along the path leading away from the gravesite. As he did so, following behind Run, he saw three members of Wild Hunt moving about. "Hey, you guys, you need to come along. Esdeath is probably waiting for all of us for our final briefing."

The tall one, Champ, ignored him, as did the other male, though he did get a look from him.

"Where's Izou," Wave asked out loud.

"He's already with Esdeath," Cosmina sang out loud. "Don't worry, we're just making our rounds and paying our respects to the former Jaegers. We'll join you soon."

"Okay…"

There was something unsettling in his heart – something about these Wild Hunt members that spelled nothing but trouble. But he couldn't pinpoint what the feelings were. One look at Run suggested that his comrade was feeling the same way.

No…

Run wasn't just looking at them.

He could almost feel a strong desire coming from the man…a strong desire to shed blood. Run kept moving forward, however. But even could not hide the blood dripping from his clenched fist.


End file.
